On March 5, 2013 a letter from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was sent to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary Janet Napolitano.

The letter was an effort of the organization to inform U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security concerning the increase of “conspiracy-minded, antigovernment groups.”

In the same opening paragraph the letter urges the Holder and Napolitano  to form an “interagency task force to assess the adequacy of the resources devoted to responding to the growing threat of non-Islamic domestic terrorism.”

There are so many things just on this opening paragraph to concern about. There appears to be a link in the minds of the SPLC between non-Islamic domestic terrorism and antigovernment groups.When did these two distinctions become seminomas?

More than likely these two groups may share some members the same as a college student may be a member of several social groups on campus.

However, similar to say because the fraternities on a campus are causing problems on we are also holding the football team responsible because they may share members.

The letter goes on to say in their report on the state of hate and extremism in the nation there has been an increase of militias and radical antigovernment groups from 149 in 2008 to 1,360 in 2012. While the letter attributes a degree of this increase to the government’s perceived anti-gun agenda it says little else to seek out why there has been such a drastic increase.

Maybe if the government started listening to some of these groups as concerned all be it pissed off citizens they may actually get to the heart of their concerns.

 Perhaps putting them on a watch list of extremists that asks the government to find ways of dealing with them is an easier avenue than admitting the government may have some issues itself.

In another chapter the letter cites a 2006-2007 survey of police agencies sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security that found that “far-right antigovernment, neo-Nazi, and racist skinhead groups than Islamic extremists.”

The paragraph continues by stating, since that time the number of” far-right antigovernment groups has exploded and the number of neo-Nazi and racist skinhead groups has remained at a high level.” Again there is an attempt to draw similarities between racist groups and antigovernment groups.

I agree there probably has been an increase in racist, anti-Islamic, antigovernment and right wing groups.

In time where they feel their voice is not being heard regardless of whether they are right or wrong one of the few options individuals have is rally their numbers in an attempt to change policy and address issues the feel impact them.